Senior aides to Gov. Cuomo are increasingly worried that the Moreland Act Commission named by the governor two months ago to investigate corruption in state government is getting out of control, The Post has learned.
Sources describe commission co-chair Kathleen Rice, the Nassau County district attorney and failed candidate for state attorney general in 2010, and executive director Regina Calcaterra as “loose cannons” directing the operations of what one called a “runaway commission.’’
“The concern is that Rice and Calcaterra may be more interested in getting publicity for themselves then they are in figuring out what’s behind the repeated cases of corruption,’’ said a Cuomo administration source.
Some aides to Cuomo were described as “furious’’ that a series of subpoenas were recently issued by the commission for campaign-finance records without any advance notice to the governor’s office.
“Some of the governor’s people are pulling their hair out because they don’t know what the commission is doing or what it’s going to do next,’’ said a source.
Last week, despite the behind-the-scenes tensions, Cuomo publicly declared that the commission could investigate him or anyone else in his administration if it decided it had reason to do so.
“Anything they want to look at they can look at,’’ Cuomo said.
Gee, governor, thanks for telling the corruption commission they're allowed to look at anything they want.
But we know you don't mean it.
We know you don't want them to look at the Committee To Save New PAC you were having run for you that raised millions of dollars for your anti-union, pro-Cuomo agenda ads.
We know you don't want them to look at the money CSNY raised from overseas gambling interests at the very same time you were expanding gambling in the state.
We know you don't want them looking at the money you took from real estate developers at the same time you were handing them $35 million in tax breaks over 10 years.
And from that above pattern, we can figure that there is a lot more you don't want them looking at.
Here's hoping Fred Dicker's right and they are going to look at anything and everything.
If so, you just might be in trouble.
All hail "loose cannons"!
ReplyDeleteIf they're aimed Cuomo's way, absolutely!
DeleteGood! After the "death penalty" statement, he deserves it. I am leery for Cuomo is such a jerk, someone will take the fall for him. I am glad someone is awake but I"ll believe it when he steps down.
ReplyDeleteHe's wily, so I have no doubt he'll squirm out of any problem his own commission might cause him. But anything that makes him uncomfortable and puts a little of the "Cuomo is a Crook" meme into the zeitgeist is a good thing. Ultimately this will all come back to haunt him in 2016 when he runs for president. He won't be able to bully the national press to not report his corruption the way he has the NY press.
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